Our research focuses on determining
the fundamental mechanisms of deformation in the upper crust. Major
themes include special emphasis on the large-scale folding mechanisms,
the role of large earthquakes as the quanta of upper crustal structural
geology and field study of on regions of active deformation, such as the Tien-Shan of western China, southern California and Taiwan.

We survey young
deforming strata in regions where we also have excellent control on deep
subsurface structure from seismic images and field data to get an
understanding of how structures grow incrementally on a geomorphic
timescale and on the timescale of single large earthquakes, such as the
classic M7.8 Chi-Chi thrust-belt earthquake in Taiwan. To help in this
we have developed methods of imaging active faults in 3D using the
thousands of small earthquakes that illuminate some faults. For example
this allowed us to image for the first time the main detachment of the
Taiwan mountain belt and thereby test theories of the large-scale
structure and mechanics of this mountain belt and to understand why the
San Andreas fault disappears in part of southern California.

At the same
time we are developing new theories and techniques for analyzing the
growth of active folds. Currently we are working on detachment folding
(with examples from the Tian Shan, Nankai Trough, offshore Oregon and
Niger delta) and shear fault-bend folding (with examples from Nankai
trough, Cascadia, western Taiwan and southern California). At a finer
scale we are surveying and dating fold scarps and fault scarps, which
are often the locus of incremental surface deformation in large
earthquakes, and developing theories of their progressively changing
shapes which is giving a deep understanding of how large structures grow
through the summation of many large earthquakes.

In addition to
it is focus on active fundamental processes in structural geology, our
work has important applications to petroleum structural geology and
earthquake hazard assessment.

I
am interested in thrust tectonic and how we can integrate different data
set
such as remote sensor, field data, seismicity, and seismic profiles to
understand regional and local aspects of the kinematic and dynamic
deformation. Also I am interested in how detail analysis of
seismic or surface images can help us to understand the
deformation process occurred into simple structures as a
detachment folds or other fault related fold.
Furthermore my interest involves quantitative and
qualitative information from remote sensing to mapping and interpreting
structures.

My research is
focused on relationship between fault models and earthquakes. Due to
heavy seismic activities, two areas on both sides of the pacific are
chosen; one is Taiwan mainly about Chi-Chi earthquake and the other is
Southern California. In both cases show that fault models constructed
from surface and subsurface data indeed control the deformation
observed near the surface.

PhD.,1996, Graduate School of Research Institute of Petroleum
Exploration and Development, Beijing, P.R. China

Researcher
of the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development,
PetroChina Limited Company, Beijing, P.R. China

My research focuses on the
dynamics formation of sedimentary basins, the deformation of foreland
fold and thrust belts, and the key controls of tectonics on the
distribution of oil and gas in the Central and Western China. I make use
of the 2D & 3D seismic data, the gravitational data, the magnetic data,
and the field data to interpret the structures and reconstruct the
evolution of structures that may be oil and gas traps. At present, I am
interested in the fold and thrust structures on the northern boundary of Qinhai-Tibet Plateau, and the transpressional structures in the southern
Jungar Basin.

I have been working at the
interface of structural geology, geomorphology and earthquake geology to
study the evolution of the North Anatolian Fault (Turkey) and the Tian
Shan Mountain Range (China), in addition my research is also focus on
stress transfer (Coulomb criterion) to model short-term change in
seismicity and the kinematics of the deformation processes over the
long-term. This approach can also give some clues on the deformation
mechanics of the lithosphere.
To My WEB

My
research is concentrated in the structure of the southern Tian Shan,
with Prof. Suppe . We use data of seismic lines, wells, remote
sense, and surface field to understand the geometry, kinematic,
and dynamic evolution of the Cenozoic deformation of the southern Tian
Shan.

Students, some Former PhD Students and Post-doctoral
fellows of John
Suppe, Photo 2005